The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted two resolutions against the Union government’s proposed delimitation process after 2026 and ‘One nation, One Election’ policy.
The resolutions moved by Chief Minister M.K.Stalin was adopted in the House after he made a detailed speech followed by remarks by floor leaders of various political parties.
Apart from the alliance parties of the ruling DMK, the main Opposition AIADMK also supported both the resolutions, while the BJP staged a walk out when Mr Stalin moved the resolutions, which were adopted unanimously by voice vote.
The resolution against the proposed delimitation process by Union Government said “This august House urges the Union Government that the delimitation process to be carried out after 2026 on the basis of the census should not be carried out. Due to unavoidable reasons, if the number of seats
on the basis of population were to increase, it shall be maintained at the present ratio of the constituencies between the States in the State Assemblies and both Houses of Parliament fixed based on the population of 1971.”
It said “This August House also urges that States like Tamil Nadu should not be penalised for implementing various socio-economic development programmes and welfare schemes for the
benefit of people over the past 50 years.”
Opposing the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy, another resolution said “This August House urges
the Union government not to implement the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy as the “theory of One Nation, One Election is against the basis of democracy; impractical; not enshrined in the Constitution of India.”
It said “Elections to Local Bodies, State Assemblies and Parliament were, at present, held at different times on the basis of people-centric issues in a vast and diverse country like India, and it is against the idea of democratic decentralisation.”
Moving the resolutions in house, Mr Stalin said while the Delimitation is a sword hanging over the head of Tamil Nadu, while One Nation, One Election policy was dangerous and autocratic and it should be opposed.
In a detailed speech while moving the resolutions, the Chief Minister said “First, ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy is a dangerous, autocratic thought and it needs to be opposed. The ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy was impractical and went against the basic fundamentals of the Indian Constitution and also went against the ‘free and fair’ elections as enshrined in the Constitution.
“If elections are held at the same time, it will necessitate dissolving democratically-elected State Legislative Assemblies before their term is completed, and this would go against the Indian Constitution. If the Union government loses its majority, will they dissolve all State Assemblies and hold simultaneous elections across India? If, there arises a situation in States where the State government falls, will those in power at the Union government come forward to hold elections? Is there anything more comical than this? Not just elections for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies,
is it even possible to hold simultaneous elections for local bodies?” he asked.
Mr. Stalin said that the local bodies were under the control of the State governments and it went against the principles of federalism to state that elections for local bodies would also be held simultaneously.
“Nobody should fall for the self-interest of those in power at the Centre to meddle with the Indian Constitution in the interest of State rights, federalism and equal opportunities enshrined in it”, he added.
Second, in the name of a delimitation process based on population, there is a conspiracy being carried out with an intention to reduce the representation of Tamil Nadu (in Parliament) and it
should be nipped in the bud.
“It was a conspiracy to reduce the representation of the southern States and in particular, Tamil Nadu, and it should be nipped in the bud”, he added.
Observing that Delimitation was a sword hanging over the head of Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said according to Article 88 and 170 of Indian Constitution, new constituencies are created in State Assemblies and Lok Sabha based on population. The limits and boundaries of constituencies are redrawn already as per the Delimitation Act.
The Centre had instituted the Delimitation Commission in 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002. In India, until 1976, after each population census, delimitation has been carried out in Assemblies and the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Pointing out that the 42nd Amendment was implemented to ensure that the democratic rights of the States are not eroded on the count of population, Mr Stalin said the Union Government had stopped the delimitation process with the 2001 population census.
He said an assurance was given that the number of seats will not change until 2026 and that after 2026, State Assemblies and Lok Sabha constituencies will be changed as per the Census taken after 2026 census.
He said the population of Bihar and Tamil Nadu were comparable and both States have similar number of seats. But the population of Bihar today has increased 1.5 times compared to that of Tamil Nadu, which will increase its number of seats.
“As per the Union government’s plan, the number of seats in Tamil Nadu will decrease proportionally. In Tamil Nadu, there are 39 Lok Sabha seats and if delimitation is carried out after 2026, the number of seats will reduce in Tamil Nadu. Even with 39 Lok Sabha seats, we are begging the Central government. If the number of seats are further reduced, Tamil Nadu will lose its rights and will fall behind”, he said.
“Therefore, we urge that the number of seats should not be changed under any circumstance based on the population growth. Tamil Nadu and Southern states will be weakened. This type of discrimination is experienced by Tamil Nadu and Southern states when it comes to revenue sharing based on population,” he said.
Mr Stalin said “We need to oppose both the proposed delimitation process and the One Natrion, One Election in one voice.”
